S. Korea may allow use of self-test kits after mayor calls for their approval

SEOUL • The South Korean health authorities said yesterday that they would consider the use of coronavirus self-test kits despite their relatively low accuracy, after the new mayor of Seoul called for their approval.

The government had been reluctant to allow self-test kits, citing their lower accuracy than industry-standard polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests and specialist-administered rapid tests that are already in place.

The possibility of false negatives is higher, the authorities say, as a high viral load in the nasal passageways is often essential to secure a reliable result.

But some local government chiefs and experts have in recent weeks highlighted the need for the use of self-test kits as a supplementary tool, amid fears of a potential fourth wave of Covid-19.

Mr Oh Se-hoon, who became mayor of the capital Seoul following last week's special election, called on the Food and Drug Safety Ministry to approve the kits to be used in homes, restaurants, shops and religious facilities as a quick and easy device to detect possible infections.

Mr Oh had blamed the government for failing to contain a third wave of Covid-19 and reduce the hardships of small-business owners, by sticking to ineffective distancing curbs.

"It is burdensome to maintain the anti-virus system as it is. We need to try new ideas and change our way of thinking," Mr Oh said at a Cabinet meeting, the first he had attended since taking office.

"I urge the Drug Safety Ministry to grant approval for the use of self-test kits in the near future."

Food and Drug Safety Minister Kim Gang-lip said the kits might be helpful if used on a limited basis, but the current rules allow products with 90 per cent accuracy, compared with the proven 98 per cent accuracy of PCR tests.

Total infections in South Korea stand at 110,688 since the pandemic began, with 1,775 deaths.

REUTERS